From Military.com:
“Georgia Jail Opens Unit
Dedicated Only for Military Veterans “
One of Georgia's largest counties
has created a special jail unit just for military veterans. "The
Barracks" is aimed at giving veterans behind bars a better chance of
success when they're released, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. Gwinnett
County's program joins a broader trend of finding creative ways to help
veterans caught up in the justice system. It is among more than 120 U.S.
prisons and jails that have separate cell blocks dedicated to military
veterans, according to the National Institute for Corrections. Most of them
have been added in recent years. Gwinnett County's program launched in
November, and it's still getting ramped up. There will soon be extra programs
and services to help incarcerated veterans, the newspaper reported. "I
think it shows that my country does care about me," said inmate Jack
Cleveland, who was in Marine Corps basic training when the Twin Towers fell. He
worked on aircraft and served his country in a time of war. "This place is
a blessing," said another inmate, Shane Smith, who served in the Army
infantry during Desert Storm. The Barracks was the brainchild of Chief Deputy
Lou Solis, a retired Army Ranger who joined the Gwinnett County Sheriff's
Office about two years ago. "While some veterans go on to make less
honorable choices later in life, their contributions to our national security
are no less valuable," Solis told the newspaper. "We are committed to
helping these veterans get their lives back on track by creating a program to
provide them with resources to increase the likelihood they won't return to
jail once they're released."
^ I think this is a good idea. While
I believe that every person who commits a crime should be punished I think
military veterans should be both punished and helped at the same time. No one
(except someone who served) can fully understand what a soldier did during
their time in service and whether its PTSD or something else we still owe it to
the veterans (whether they are in jail or not) to show them that we value their
service. ^
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